
09/19/2025
It's Fun Fact Friday!
Did you know opossums and possums are actually different animals? Both are marsupials but belong to different orders and families. Opossums, native to Northern and Central America, have hairless tails, while possums, native to Australia and New Guinea, have furry tails and are smaller in stature. And yes, opossums play dead to deter predators, but possums, they become vocal and are ready to fight off a predator.
Opossums are opportunistic omnivores and include rattlesnakes as part of their diet. Due to a unique protein in their blood that neutralizes the toxins, opossums are highly immune to rattlesnake venom. They also love to snack on ticks! Next time you see an opossum, give it a little nod of gratitude for helping to keep the rattlesnake and tick population in check!